Lưu Hồng Quang will perform the complete cycle of Transcendental Études by Franz Lizt at VNAM's Grand Hall in Hà Nội. — Photo courtesy of Lưu Hồng Quang

HÀ NỘI — Pianist Lưu Hồng Quang will perform the complete cycle of Transcendental Études by Franz Liszt at the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM) on May 8.

Widely regarded as among the most demanding works in the piano repertoire, the études combine literary inspiration, vivid imagery and technical complexity, inviting listeners into realms of drama, nature and spiritual reflection.

“The music of Franz Liszt embodies a synthesis of poetry, literature and sound, forming a unified language of expression,” Quang said.

In 2024, Quang released an album of the complete études under the Rattle label, recorded in Raiding, Austria, Liszt’s birthplace, with the encouragement of his teacher, Professor Margaret Hair.

A graduate of VNAM, the Australian International Conservatory of Music and the University of Montreal, Quang has performed with leading orchestras in Việt Nam and abroad.

He has won several international piano competition prizes, including first prize at the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition in Australia, and second prizes at the Città di Oleggio International Piano Competition in Italy and the Euregio Piano Award in Germany.

The concert, part of the Vietnam International Piano Competition and Festival Laureate and Master Series, also marks the 70th anniversary of VNAM's founding in 1956. Quang began his musical training at the academy.

This will be his second performance of the complete cycle in Việt Nam, following a debut in 2022. On his return, he approaches the work with greater depth, seeking to explore its nuanced meanings and expressive layers beyond technical challenges.

The performance will begin at 8pm at VNAM’s Grand Concert Hall in Hà Nội at 77 Hào Nam Street. — VNS